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RIALTO, CA—- On Tuesday, May 30, the City of Rialto, in partnership with the Rialto Unified School District announced the implementation of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program for children walking and biking to school. The event was held at Dunn Elementary School in Rialto.
The event included a demonstration on traffic safety with students showcasing their abilities to avoid traffic collisions on a miniature city course. In addition, students also dropped watermelons wearing bicycle helmets to emphasize the importance of bicycle helmet use.
Safe Routes to School is a nationally recognized program that aims to significantly improve safety for students who walk and bike to school. The Rialto SRTS program combines education and a safer streets component to slow down drivers and build new pedestrian and bicycle safety treatments such as new crosswalks, and bump-outs at an intersection and add stop or yield signs.
“The City of Rialto and the Rialto Unified School District understands the importance of our commitment to ensuring the safety of our students. As part of our efforts, we will continue to invest in education, encouragement, engineering, enforcement, and evaluation for our schools,” said Tim Sullivan, Rialto’s Director of Maintenance & Facilities.
“We want to encourage our students who live close enough to be able to safely walk or bike to school by providing them with the necessary infrastructure and resources to keep them safe,” said Chief Gordon M. Leary, Rialto Unified School District Safety Services.
The educational activities teach students how to use new infrastructure and to understand traffic rules. It also encourages walking and bicycling by raising awareness of health and environmental benefits.
Programs offered by the Rialto Safe Routes to School Program include:
- Walk to School Day: This event encourages all students who live near their school to walk to school. October 4, 2023, will be International Walk to School Day for Rialto.
- School Bike & Pedestrian Rodeos: The in-person bike and pedestrian clinic includes hands-on safety instruction, a discussion about the rules of the road and bike and pedestrian safety tips including the importance of wearing a bike helmet.
- Community Events: SRTS outreach efforts include participating in community events to educate children and families about pedestrian and bike safety.
- Parent Workshops: The workshops educate parents on bicycle and pedestrian safety as well as the benefits of walking and bicycling on their children’s health and the environment.
For more information on Rialto Safe Routes to School programs and services contact: Amy Crow, Administrative Analyst, Maintenance & Facilities, City of Rialto, acrow@rialtoca.gov (909) 421-7221.
